Remotely powered rotary toothbrush



March 6, 1962 E. H. DRESEN REMOTELY POWERED ROTARY TOOTHBRUSH 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 4, 1959 l N V E N T U R ATTIlRNEY March 6, 1962 E. H. DRESEN 3,

REMOTELY POWERED ROTARY TOOTHBRUSH Filed May 4, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTUR @M/WBUSW Zv/Mm ATTDRNEY March 6, 1962 DRESEN REMOTELY POWERED ROTARY TOOTHBRUSH 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 NVE dflfd liiinlittat gz k lfi v I l 4 Filed May 4, 1959 A T T u R u E Y March 1962 E. H. DRESEN 3,023,437

REMOTELY POWERED ROTARY TOOTHBRUSH Filed May 4, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTDR @MMQ/wbwo B Y law/M ATTIJHNEY llnited States Patent 3,623,437 Patented Mar. 6, 1962 free 3,023,437 REMGTELY POWERED ROTARY TOOTHBRUSI-I Esbern H. Dresen, 7916 147th St., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Filed May 4, 1959, Ser. No. 810,871 3 Claims. (Cl. 15-43) This invention relates generally to toothbrushes, and particularly to improvement in powered toothbrushes of the rotary type.

It is well known that the correct method of toothbrushing requires that the bristles be moved away from the gums and that if the gums are pushed away from or back on the teeth then tooth decay and other dental difiiculties will be the result. It is also well known that there are physiological differences in the gums of individuals which require a varying amount of brushing from the viewpoint of the amount of abrasive action the gums can stand.

When using an ordinary toothbrush, it has been found that the average user has considerable diificulty in operating the brush, with the correct technique and even after the correct brushing technique is mastered, it requires considerable time and patience and therefore is not practiced widely.

A principal object of this device is to provide a powered toothbrush of the rotary type that will, when used correctly, ensure correct brushing of the teeth and whose continued use will tend to reduce dental decay and the possibility of pyorrhea in the mouth.

A further object is to provide a powered toothbrush of the rotary type wherein the power source for the toothbrush is located remotely from the user and is completely insulated from the brush and brush holder to eliminate the possibility of any electrical shock from the use of the brush.

A further object is to provide a powered rotary toothbrush wherein the speed and direction of rotation of the toothbrush is quickly and easily controlled by a manual control located on the toothbrush holder and operable while toothbrushing is in progress.

An additional object is to provide a powered rotary toothbrush that is normally in the off or non-operating position and that will always return to the off or nonoperating position when the actuating button is released.

A further object is to provide a powered rotary toothbrush wherein the direction of brush rotation is controlled from the toothbrush holder and the speed control is a selector located at the power source.

An additional object is to provide a powered rotary toothbrush having a remote power unit connected to the toothbrush through a flexible control and drive cable.

A still additional object is to provide a toothbrush holder wherein toothbrushes of various shapes, sizes and identities may be attached or detached quickly and easily as desired.

An additional object is to provide a powered rotary toothbrush wherein the toothbrush holder and brush may be readily disassembled for cleaning and sanitary purposes.

A further object is to provide a powered rotary toothbrush constructed of a low cost readily obtainable matrial.

Additional objects and advantages of my toothbrush will be observed from the attached drawings when read in the light of the following specification. While I will describe one preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to my invention without departing from the inventive spirit and scope thereof as exemplified in the claims.

In the drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the remote power unit of my device with the actuating button not illustrated.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the remote power unit with the casing therefor in section.

FIGURE 3 is a broken away view illustrating the flexible drive cable.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation illustrating the motor and drive shaft mounting.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the hand piece and toothbrush partly broken away and in section to illustrate its internal construction.

FIGURE 6 is an exploded isometric broken away view illustrating the groove pulley and associated fork.

FIGURE 7 is a broken away view partly in section illustrating the attachment of the toothbrush guard and the construction of the internal rotor of the hand piece.

FIGURE 8 is a projected view showing the hand piece end.

FIGURE 9 is an elevation illustrating an alternate embodiment of the drive and speed control.

FIGURE 10 is a broken away view illustrating an alternate embodiment of the drive disc attachment.

With reference now to the drawings, the remote power unit comprises the housing 1 which is constructed preferably in rectangular form and is of two piece construction for rapid disassembly during inspection. The housing 1 would be attached with suitable screws or the like passing through openings 2 located in the back of the housing and there would be provided a central opening 3 in the back of the housing through which electric connecting wires would be routed.

A mounting bracket designated generally by the numeral 4 is secured to the back of the housing 1 with suitable mounting screws 5 to support the electric motor 6 on the flared portions 53 of the bracket. Power from the motor 6 is transmitted through the drive shaft 7 on which is mounted the drive disc 8. It should be noted that the drive disc 8 is mounted slidably on the drive shaft 7 with a pin 9 projecting from the drive shaft 7 into the slot 1t) on the body of the drive disc 8 and a compression spring 11 coacts between the end of the drive shaft 7 and the drive disc 8 to force the drive disc 8 away from the end of the drive shaft 7 within the limits of the slot 10.

The driven shaft 12 is mounted rotatably slidably in the bearings 13 which preferably are of electrically insulating material and are secured by fastening bolts 15 or the like on the upright members 14 of the mounting bracket 4. The driven wheel 36 is fixed securely on the driven shaft 12 and the driven wheel 16 is of suificient diameter to contact, at its periphery, the drive disc 8. Compression springs 17 encircle the driven shaft 12 and extend between the driven Wheel 16 and the bearing mounts 13 and act to normally centre the driven wheel 16 with respect to the drive disc 8' as illustrated in the drawings.

In ordinary operation, rotation of the drive shaft 7 by the motor 6 will in turn rotate the driven disc 8 and if the driven wheel 16 is located centrally as indicated in FIGURE 1 in the drawings, no motion will be imparted to the driven Wheel 16. However, should the driven shaft 12 be moved slidably in either direction against the action of one of the compression springs 17, the driven Wheel will be moved toward the perimeter of the driving disc 8 whereupon the driven Wheel 16 will be rotated either in one direction or the other. Obviously, the speed of the driven wheel .16 and the axle 12 may be controlled accurately by movement of the driven shaft 12 to move the driven wheel 16 across the face of the driving disc 8.

Rotation of the driven shaft 12 is coupled to the flexible drive cable 18 which is of more or less standard construction as found in speedometer cables and the like and is encased in a plastic or other suitable housing 19. The housing 19 terminates in a standard ferrule fitting 20 which secures the cable housing 19 and permits attachment of the flexible cable to the fitting 26 projecting at the lower surface of the housing 1.

The ends of the cable 18 are preferably squared or flattened on one side as indicated at 2'1 and 49 with the end 21 coupled to the end of the driven shaft 12 through the coupling 22 secured on the cable end 21 and on the driven shaft 12 through suitable set screws 23 or the like.

It should be noted that the connector 22 is enlarged centrally as indicated at 54 and the enlarged centre is used to trigger the switch arm 24 of the motor controlling switch 25. With the driven wheel 16 held in the normal inoperative central position with respect to the drive disc 8, the enlarged portion 54 of the connector 22 will be in contact with the switch arm 24 to move the switch 25 to the off position and prevent operation of the motor. Whenever the drive cable 18 is moved longitudinally in either direction to move the driven shaft 12 and the driven Wheel 16, the switch arm 24 will move off the enlarged portion 54 and the switch 25 will then be closed and the motor 6 placed in operation. The switch 25 is mounted securely on the bracket 27 which extends from the mounting bracket 1 to position the switch 25 in the correct position for actuation by the connector 22. In the alternative embodiment illustrated in FZG- URE 9 in the drawings, there is shown a housing 1 in which is mounted the motor 6 with a drive shaft 7 similar to the motor and drive shaft already described and a driven shaft 12 mounted rotatably on bearings 13 and coupled to the drive cable 18 through the coupling 22.

The changes in construction in this power unit include a pair of driven wheels 55 and 56 which are secured to the driven shaft 12 in spaced relationship as indicated. The drive shaft 7 terminates in a drive wheel 57 which is mounted on the sleeve 58 engaged slidably with the drive shaft 7 and includes the pulley 59. Sliding movement of the sleeve 58 on the shaft 7 is restricted by the slot in the sleeve 58 and the pin 64 projecting from the shaft 7 into the slot. The pulley 59 is embraced by the fork 65 of the lever 60 which is pivotally mounted as at 61 to the housing 1 and terminates in a button 62 outside the housing. With this construction, it is possible for the user to manipulate the button 62 to move the sleeve 58 and pulley 59 with respect to the drive shaft 7 and the driven wheels 55 and 56. It will be obvious that it is possible to move the driven shaft 12 in either direction to contact either the driven wheel 56 or 55 with the drive wheel 57 to rotate the drive cable 18 in either direction and to advance or retard the speed of rotation of the drive cable 18 by movement of the drive wheel 57 with relation to the driven wheels 55 and 56.

Since it is considered that this device will be utilized in a bathroom where condensation may be a problem, I have provided vent openings 28' through the bottom of the housing -1 through which any entrapped moisture may be released.

The driven wheel 16 is preferably provided with a rubber or other composition periphery for maximum frictional engagement with the drive disc 8 and for quietness of operation and, obviously, continued frictional contact between the periphery of the driven wheel 16 and the drive disc 8 will result in wear to the rubber periphery of the driven wheel 16. The sliding engagement of the drive disc 8 on the drive shaft 7 and the pressure of the compression spring 11 against the drive disc 8 will compensate for this and, during the life of the machine, ensure a positive friction contact between the disc 8 and the periphery of the wheel 16. The alternative embodiment illustrated in FIGURE in the drawings will also serve to give a positive frictional contact between the disc 8 and the periphery of the wheel 16 and may be used in place of the sliding engagement of the drive disc with the drive shaft 7 if desired. This embodiment comprises threads 66 formed in the end of the drive shaft 7 to engage with internal threads 67 in the drive disc 8. When the drive shaft 7 is not in operation, the drive disc 8 will be engaged loosely on the threads 67 and will not bear firmly against the periphery of the wheel 16. However, when the drive shaft 7 is rotated, the drive disc 8 will be forced along the threads 66 to make firm frictional contact with the periphery of the wheel 16 and drive the wheel 16 as desired.

The hand piece of my device comprises a main housing 28 which is formed with a central longitudinal bore 29 and, at its one end, is threaded exterlorly as at 30 for attachment of the cap 31. The cap 31 being provided with a threaded extension 32 for attachment of the ferrule fitting 33 at the end of the flexible drive cable 19. The opposite end of the housing 28 is formed with a circular flange 34 of reduced diameter to receive the end 35 of the guard 36 in frictional gripping contact therewith.

The rotor 37 is mounted revolvably in the bushings 38 which are press fitted in the bore 29 of the housing 28 and the rotor 37 is provided with squared or deformed sockets 39 extending part way through the rotor from opposite ends thereof.

The squared or flattened end 40 of the drive cable 18 is connected slidably in the socket 39 when the ferrule fitting 33 is engaged on the threaded end 32 of the housing end 31 and, longitudinal movement of the drive cable 18 is accomplished through the pulley 41 grooved peripherally as indicated at 42 and fixed to the drive cable 18 to rotate therewith. A fork 43 has a running fit with the groove 42 in the pulley 41 and the fork 43 is connected through the connecting rod 44 to the actuating button 45. The button 45 is seated in a suitable longitudinal groove in the exterior of the housing 23 and it will be obvious, that as the button 45 is moved backwardly and forwardly, with respect to the housing 28, the drive cable 18 will be moved backwardly and forwardly and, in turn the driven shaft 12 and the driven wheel 16 will be moved backwardly and forwardly with respect to the drive disc 8. To provide a seal around the connecting rod 44, I have provided an O-ring 46 or like device encircling the connecting rod 44 where it enters the housing 28.

The toothbrushing element of my device comprises the brush shaft 47 mounted rotatably in the guard 36 and provided with a squared or deformed end to seat in the socket 39 in the rotor 37 as the guard 36 is secured on the flange 34 as described previously. To prevent moisture or abrasives entering the housing 28 along the brush shaft 47, I have provided the inner baffle 49 located within the flange 34 and in frictional contact with the brush shaft 47 during its rotation, and the outer bafile 50 secured in the guard 36 and engaging with the groove 51 in the brush shaft 47 to hold the brush shaft within the guard 36 and at the same time provide sealing action against moisture and abrasive. At its opposite end, the brush shaft is formed with suitable bristles 52 with the brush 42 operating within the confines of the guard 36.

In the construction of my improved toothbrushing apparatus, I have found it best to construct the brush shaft 47 of a material having some resilience throughout the majority of its length and to be of relatively strong nonresilient material at the squared end entering the socket 39. Again, I have found it best to construct the bristles 52 of a relatively thin soft material as compared to ordinary toothbrush bristles and that the thin soft bristles will operate effectively owing to the increased efficiency of the rotating brush. In addition, the soft bristles are capable of entering the inter proximal spaces between the teeth and at the same time do not exhibit a harsh abrasive action on the teeth as would be the case with ordinary bristles.

In operation, and with the apparatus assembled substantially as illustrated and described, the user may select the desired brush 52 housed in a guard 36 and attach the shield and brush to the housing 28 as described. Thereafter, it is only necessary to actuate the button 45 to rotate the brush in whatever direction is desired and to speed up or slow down rotation of the brush as required. Owing to the unique construction of the actuating button 45 and the fork 43, it is possible to have full control of the brush rotation and speed without it being necessary to stop rotation of the brush for any adjustment.

The unique construction of the removable guard 36 and its associated brush and brush shaft makes it possible to have guards of different color for difierent users or to have brushes of different bristle construction to perform a variety of toothbrushing functions.

Again, the electrically insulated construction in the remote power source and the mechanical drive and control connection between the hand piece and the power source make it possible to operate a dental unit of this nature in a household bathroom without there being danger of electrical shock to the user.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a toothbrush having an elongated hand piece with a toothbrush mounted rotatably therein, a remote power source, a flexible drive cable extending from the power source to the hand piece and having a slidable driving connection with the toothbrush and a slidable driven connection with the power source whereby such cable is capable of longitudinal movement during rotational movement thereof, a control mounted slidably in the handpiece for longitudinal movement with respect to the handpiece, such control connected to the flexible drive cable and operable manually to move the drive cable longitudinally during rotation of the drive cable, a driven disc connected to the power source to be driven thereby and a driven wheel connected to the drive cable and in frictional engagement with the driven disc whereby movement of the drive cable by the control will position the driven wheel with relation to the driven disc to rotate the drive cable in the desired direction and at the desired speed.

2. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 and a switch located in the remote power source to control operation of the power source and inter-connected with the drive cable whereby movement of the drive cable will actuate the switch.

3. In a toothbrush having an elongated hand piece with a toothbrush mounted rotatably therein, a remote electrically operated power source, a flexible drive cable extending from the power source to the hand piece to rotate the toothbrush and to act as an electrical insulator between the power source and the hand piece, such cable having a slidable driven connection with the power source and a slidable driving connection with the toothbrush whereby the cable may be moved in a longitudinal direction simultaneously with rotation thereof, a grooved wheel secured on the drive cable in the hand piece, a fork having a running fit with the grooved wheel, an actuating button mounted for longitudinal sliding movement in the exterior of the hand piece and a connection from the actuating button to the fork whereby movement of the button will move the drive cable longitudinally, a driven disc'connected to the power source to be rotated thereby, a driven wheel connected to the drive cable and in frictional driving engagement with the driven disc whereby longitudinal movement of the drive cable will move the driven wheel in relation to the driven disc to control the direction of rotation and the speed of rotation of the drive cable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 863,478 Williamson Aug. 13, 1907 1,177,468 Allen Mar. 28, 1916 1,631,394 Baird et a1. June 7, 1927 1,734,475 Dedge Nov. 5, 1929 2,183,415 Thommies Dec. 13, 1939 

